iPad App of the Week: Madefire Looks to Light Up the World of Comics on the iPad

The bright, visual medium of comics is a natural fit for the iPad, especially the new ones with those souped up Retina displays. Comics have found a home on the tablet since day one, but Madefire is a new app that seeks to take that relationship to the next level.

Madefire is a comics app that will feature exclusive series made just for the app and designed to be experienced on a tablet first and foremost. That means, in addition to artwork and narrative, readers will get to explore 360 degree panoramic views of the comic worlds and enjoy music, sound effects, and animation that will attempt to make the comic book more immersive than ever before.

Of course, none of that means anything if there’s no marquee talent to produce these series. Fortunately, Madefire has that talent lined up. Dave Gibbons (the artist behind Watchmen), Bill Sienkiewicz, Mike Carey, and Liam Sharp are all working on projects for Madefire. Those projects will be released in chunks weekly.

Currently, both the app and the episodes of all comics series are free. Madefire itself will probably remain free, but the episodic content will likely come with a price tag at some point down the road, though it’s not clear yet what the pricing will look like.